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Emergency Preparedness Resources for All Healthcare Facilities and Agencies

This page provides emergency preparedness rules, resources and information, tools, plan templates, and sample documents to help you in your planning and response.

ASPR TRACIE, brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) was created for regional ASPR staff, healthcare coalitions, healthcare entities, healthcare providers, emergency managers, public health practitioners, and others working in disaster medicine, healthcare system preparedness, and public health emergency preparedness. In addition, there is an entire section dedicated to the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

 

  • FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. All are offered free-of-charge to those who qualify for enrollment. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)
  • FEMA’s Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), provides a set of guiding principles for exercise programs, as well as a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning.(Accessed November 26, 2024.)
  • Emergency Preparedness and Response page, with links to training, resources, updates, response protocols, etc. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) offers more than 50 training courses at its resident campus in Anniston, Alabama, and through mobile deliveries, focusing on incident management, mass casualty response, and emergency response to a catastrophic natural disaster or terrorist act. The CDP also offers a host of virtual training deliveries. All CDP courses are accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training for continuing education units, and many are also accredited by national healthcare and law enforcement organizations.(Accessed November 26, 2024.)
  • Weather and Hazards Data Viewer, from the National Weather Service. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)
  • Emergency Preparedness: Healthcare Provider Guidance, Emergency Preparedness for Every Emergency, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This CMS site provides information and tools, utilizing an “all hazards” approach for disruptive events such as hurricanes, tornados, fires, earthquakes, power outages, chemical spills, and Pandemic flu (e.g., H1N1 influenza virus). (Accessed November 26, 2024.)
  • National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health (NCDMPH), leads national efforts to develop and propagate core curricula, education, training, and research in all-hazards disaster health.(Accessed November 26, 2024.)
    Tips for Retaining and Caring for Staff after a Disaster, Updated by ASPR/TRACIE, Updated May 2022. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)
  • National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health (NCDMPH), leads national efforts to develop and propagate core curricula, education, training, and research in all-hazards disaster health.(Accessed November 26, 2024.)
  • Tips for Retaining and Caring for Staff after a Disaster, Updated by ASPR/TRACIE, Updated May 2022. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Kaiser Permanente Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) Tool,  (Kaiser Permanente, 2017.(Accessed November 26, 2024.)


Multiple articles and tools on hazard vulnerability assessments can be found at Topic Collection: Hazard Vulnerable Assessment/Risk Assessment. ASPR/TRACIE (Accessed November 26, 2024.)


ASPR TRACIE Evaluation of Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Tools, evaluates and compares various hazard vulnerability/risk assessment tools; updated November 2024.(Accessed November 26, 2024.)


PowerPoint Presentation, Conducting a Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis, by Mitch Saruwatari, Director, Emergency, Management, Kaiser Permanente. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Memorandums of Understanding/Agreement, by the California Association of Health Facilities. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

CMS Sample Transfer Agreement (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Sample Memorandum of Understanding for Generator Fuel Resupply Services (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Sample Memorandum of Understanding for Transportation Services (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

State of Colorado Hospital Memorandum of Understanding is a voluntary agreement among Colorado hospitals to provide assistance at the time of an event (internal or external) that overwhelms the capability of a hospital to respond. Ensuring a process or protocol is outlined for the exchange of resources prior to an emergency incident is paramount to a quicker response effort and beneficial for all involved. Having a signed and current Mutual Aid Agreement is a necessary step in the FEMA reimbursement process. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Find Your Local Public Health Agency (Accessed November 26, 2024.) 


Find Your Local Emergency Manager (Accessed November 26, 2024.) 


Find Your Colorado Healthcare Coalition
There are nine healthcare coalitions (HCCs) in Colorado, and each reflects the unique needs and characteristics of each local jurisdiction. Each coalition manages its own membership and activities that represent healthcare organizations and public and private sector emergency response partners that come together to coordinate and prepare for emergencies and disaster events. (Accessed November 26, 2024.) 

CMS 1135 Waivers

When the President declares a disaster or emergency under the Stafford Act or National Emergencies Act and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary declares a public health emergency under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, the Secretary is authorized to take certain actions in addition to his/her regular authorities. For example, under section 1135 of the Social Security Act, the Secretary may temporarily waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements to ensure:

  1. Sufficient health care items and services are available to meet the needs of individuals enrolled in Social Security Act programs in the emergency area and time periods
  2. Providers who give such services in good faith can be reimbursed and exempted from sanctions (absent any determination of fraud or abuse).

 

1135 Waivers | CMS (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

 
Waivers & flexibilities | CMS (Accessed November 26, 2024.)


1135 Waivers at a Glance (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

  
CMS 1135 Waiver / Flexibility Request and Inquiry Form  (Accessed November 26, 2024.)   

 
General Information on 1135 Waivers (Accessed November 26, 2024.)


CMS YouTube 1135 Waiver Request and Inquiries Training Videos (Accessed November 26, 2024.)    


1135 Waivers and the Emergency Preparedness Rule, CMS Slide Presentation. (Accessed November 26, 2024.) 

Here are Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resources for health care entities under boil advisories:

Guidance for Healthcare Water System Repair and Recovery Following a Boil Water Alert or Disruption of Water Supply, October 24, 2024. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Preventing Crypto at Home During a Boil Water Advisory | Cryptosporidium ("Crypto"), June 5, 2024. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Drinking Water Advisories: An Overview, March 4, 2024. Handwashing, brushing teeth, bathing and showering, washing dishes, laundry,  cleaning, caring for pets, watering plants. (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Intravenous Fluid Shortage Strategies (October 9, 2024) ASPR Tracie. During shortages of sterile fluids for intravenous (IV) injection, hospitals and healthcare providers must modify usual practices for administration to conserve product. The information in our Intravenous Fluid Shortage Strategies tip sheet is derived from existing published resources, based primarily on previous shortage experiences.(Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Shortage Strategies and Resources: Peritoneal Dialysis Solution (October 16, 2024) ASPR Tracie. Medical product shortages and disaster-induced impacts from hurricanes and other extreme weather incidents can disrupt dialysis treatment and access to critical supplies. The Shortage Strategies and Resources: Peritoneal Dialysis Solution tipsheet can help healthcare providers adapt to a shortage of peritoneal dialysis solution.(Accessed November 26, 2024.)

Get updates Information on current drug shortages at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (Accessed November 26, 2024.)

During a crisis or disaster, additional help is often needed. One way to make it easier for staff to stay at or report in to work, is to have a staff care plan. A staff care plan includes predetermined arrangements for staff members’ family and loved ones. Having this information available allows staff to feel comforted that arrangements are made for their loved ones and often increases the likelihood that staff will remain at or report in to work.